The plastic deformation response of metals to applied load is often a result of interactions between several intertwined intrinsic factors such as plastic deformation mechanisms, chemical composition of the metal etc. In particular, the plasticity within highly anisotropic materials such as magnesium alloys is driven by the interplay of two plastic deformation mechanisms called crystallographic slip and deformation twinning. In this talk, a synergistic experimental-computational approach is used to gain insights into the nucleation and growth of deformation twinning, which drives the anisotropy and often leads to local fluctuations in stress-states. It is demonstrated that the accumulation of stored energy due to local plastic deformation leads to the nucleation of twins. After nucleation, the distribution of local stress-states within twins indicate that the growth is significantly influenced by the orientation of twins with respect to the macroscopic loading direction. Then, the manifestation of the nucleation and growth on the anisotropic deformation behaviour of magnesium alloys is presented in great detail. Finally, the application of the constitutive modelling of materials in understanding and optimizing the manufacturing processes is briefly discussed. It is envisaged that the integration of physics based models and process optimization leads to the development of efficient digital twins of components; from manufacturing to the in-service conditions leading to improved life estimations and reusability.